From MSU Law
Law students who experienced the College’s 2023 Study Abroad in Japan Program gathered for the first-ever reunion. Students reminisced with friends and professors and shared memories of their trip.
“This is a very special program with a very special director,” said MSU College of Law Dean Linda Greene, who joined these students for part of the program. “It’s an amazing experience for our students who are going to be a part of a global legal profession.”
The Study Abroad in Japan Program was the inspiration of MSU Law Professor Frank Ravitch 15 years ago. Every summer, students study law at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan, where they learn and gain valuable insights into international law, as well as enjoy a new culture. After the latest trip, Dean Greene had the idea to hold a reunion luncheon for the students.
“It's a great event. I think it's going to become a new tradition for the Japan program,” Professor Ravitch said. “They were an amazing group of students. They shared an experience in common that students rarely get to have, so it's a wonderful opportunity for them,”
Holding this reunion was the perfect way for the students to reconnect and compare stories with each other and talk about their unique adventures in Japan. Many discussed the cultural differences they saw and how living in Japan for a month changed their perspectives on their lives now. “Having that perspective is super helpful,” said second-year law student Joe Greene, who attended the program. “Seeing paradigm shifts of how people react in different cultures, and just being a foreigner and interacting with people from different countries is something I'm super lucky I got to do.”
The group talked about some of their favorite memories, like riding the bullet train with friends and the impact of seeing some of Japan's greatest landmarks. “It was really powerful to see the atomic dome in Hiroshima and the carnage that occurred from the bomb,” said Mr. Greene. “Just to be in that moment was incredible.”
A broadly shared sentiment was how the reunion felt like a gathering with old friends. “It feels like I never stopped seeing them because I met people (in Japan) who I now hang out with all the time,” Marina Fuga, a third-year student said. “It's really cool to run into people in the hallway that I didn't know before, especially after spending a month with them abroad. It's like a homecoming.”
Echoed repeatedly was having the opportunity to work with Professor Ravitch. His expertise in Japanese culture and the law was the highlight of the program for many students. “He's my favorite professor,” Ms. Fuga said. “That was a big reason why I wanted to do this program. It was like having a personal tour guide in Japan for a whole month.”
Professor Ravitch says he enjoyed working with this group of students just as much as they enjoyed working with him.
“I really miss these guys, and I'm really happy to see them together again. This was a great group and I miss coming into class everyday and seeing them.”
